Tag: florida

Florida Judge Says ‘Hands Are Tied,’ Won’t Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

A federal judge has denied the Trump administration’s request to unseal transcripts from Florida grand jury proceedings related to a 20-year-old criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, saying her “hands are tied.”

U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida Robin Rosenberg wrote in her denial that an unrelated 2020 ruling by the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals “does not permit” her to unseal grand jury records in instances not covered by the criminal procedure rule, CNBC reported.

“Eleventh Circuit law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied — a point the Government concedes,” Rosenberg wrote.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) petitioned the U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida, to obtain the transcripts from two grand juries that convened there in 2005 and 2007, respectively.

In its argument for the transcripts, which are normally left sealed in such cases, the DOJ pointed to a “strong public interest in the historical investigation into Jeffrey Epstein,” the convicted sex offender suspected of trafficking minors to other pedophiles.

The DOJ also argued that “many of the rationales supporting grand jury secrecy” no longer apply since Epstein’s 2019 death, which the department claimed was a suicide earlier this month. 

The controversial memo from the DOJ, headed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, also claimed there was no evidence of a “client list” belonging to Epstein to blackmail people with.

Neither argument provided by the department would qualify as an exception to the rule regarding the transcripts, Rosenberg wrote in her Wednesday decision. 

The Florida judge’s ruling does not impact two other pending requests by the DOJ that seek grand jury transcripts related to the later investigations that led to the 2019 and 2020 New York indictments of Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. 

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Feds Arrest Man Who Vowed to Kill Everyone on Epstein List with Machete

A 31-year-old Florida man has been arrested after allegedly threatening to murder individuals he believed were associated with Jeffrey Epstein’s purported “client list,” following a public outcry over the Department of Justice’s disclosure that no such list exists, as reported by The New York Post.

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Terrell Bailey-Corsey made a series of violent threats on the social media platform X, beginning with a July 15 post in which he said:

“Everyone involved if I see them in real life I will KILL. On sight. With a machete so everyone can see the blood and gore of the moment.”

Bailey-Corsey’s comments reportedly came in response to an exchange he had with Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated on X.

The interaction followed the DOJ’s announcement that there was no maintained list of Epstein’s alleged associates, despite long-standing speculation and public demand for transparency.

“You can’t fear death so you can’t understand. I will KILL EVERYONE ON THE LIST. ON SIGHT. AND THEY ABSOLUTELY DESERVE IT,” Bailey-Corsey wrote in the same July 15 post, according to court documents.

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Florida Surgeon General Highlights Vaccine Injuries, Calls on NIH to Act

At a press conference at Florida State University in Tampa, Florida, Florida Surgeon General Dr Joseph Ladapo made an urgent call for the NIH program funding to help Americans injured by Covid-19 vaccines and expressed support for the May federal changes in the HHS’s restrictive Covid-19 vaccine recommendations.

On the Ground in Tampa: What Ladapo Really Said

I was invited to Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s press conference in Tampa on July 17, 2025. In contrast to how some mainstream outlets later portrayed it, the event centered on a call to recognize and research Covid-19 vaccine injuries, rather than a mere anti-vaccine screed. Dr. Ladapo – a physician and Florida’s top health official since 2021 – emphasized the urgent need to support those suffering adverse effects from mRNA Covid-19 shots. He praised recent federal moves to scale back mRNA vaccine recommendations for certain groups, but went further by asserting that these products “should not be used in any human beings,” given their safety profile. From my front-row perspective, Dr. Ladapo’s tone was measured yet resolute. He recounted how unusual it is, in his experience, to encounter so many post-vaccination issues. “When was the last time that you had a vaccine that literally almost every single person knows someone who had a bad reaction from it?” Ladapo asked pointedly.

Before the Covid era, he noted, he never personally knew a patient who was clearly vaccine-injured. “Now,” he continued, “there are very few people that I run into who either themselves have not had a bad reaction from these mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, or who don’t know someone who’s had a bad reaction.” 

This was a striking report that hung in the air – one supported anecdotally by nods from some attendees sharing their own stories. Dr. Ladapo stressed that adverse reactions have become distressingly commonplace, and he even bluntly called the Covid shots “terrible vaccines” as a result.

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Two Florida Republican representatives push federal bill allowing illegal aliens to legally work

Joined by a group of nine additional Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida is spearheading a federal legislative effort to allow some illegal aliens to remain in the country and work legally for years.

Titled “DIGNITY Act,” the bill allows illegal aliens, which Salazar describes as “undocumented immigrants,” to remain and work in the country who have been here since before 2021.

In order to qualify, they must pass a criminal background check, pay $1,000 per year over seven years in restitution, can receive no federal benefits or entitlements, and have no pathway to citizenship. That process is referred to as the “Dignity Program.”

“Millions have lived in the shadows for decades with no legal path,” the bill’s information pager states. “Deportation of long-term workers would cripple key industries.”

“For 40 years, every president and Congress has looked the other way while millions have lived here illegally, many working in key industries that keep our economy running,” Salazar said. “It’s the Achilles’ heel no one wants to fix. The Dignity Act offers a commonsense solution: certain undocumented immigrants can earn legal status, not citizenship, by working, paying taxes, and contributing to our country. No handouts. No shortcuts. Just accountability and a path to stability for our economy and our future.”

On top of the Dignity Program, the bill’s sponsors say it requires “complete operational control” of the southern border, requires enhanced physical barriers, deploys improved technology to the border, requires nationwide E-Verify, hikes penalties for illegal border crossers, requires DNA testing for family verification, and more.

The bill sponsors say it also ends the practice of “catch-and-release,” expedites asylum processing, and hikes penalties for asylum fraud.

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FDACS removes over 85K illegal hemp products in child safety crackdown

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced results of “Operation Safe Summer,” a statewide enforcement effort resulting in the removal of more than 85,000 hemp packages that were found in violation of state child-protection standards.

In the first three weeks of the operation, hemp-derived products were seized across 40 counties for “violations of Florida’s child-protection standards for packaging, labeling, and marketing,” according to a press release from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Simpson said they will continue to “aggressively enforce the law, hold bad actors accountable, and put the safety of Florida’s families over profits.”

The state previously issued announcements advising hemp food establishments on the planned enforcement of amendments to Rule 5K-4.034, Florida Administrative Code, a press release said.

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FBI, Sheriff’s Office Arrest 28 Motorcycle Gang Members In ‘Operation Mongolian Beef’

Over two dozen alleged members of an outlaw motorcycle gang have been arrested and charged in connection with a March shooting at a Florida gas station, the FBI’s Jacksonville office announced on Wednesday.

In total, 28 members of the Mongols motorcycle gang were arrested during a joint operation, dubbed “Operation Mongolian Beef,” which was done in coordination between the FBI Jacksonville Division, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, and the Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, according to a statement, which added that arrest warrants were issued for three other members of the gang, whose arrests are pending.

As the Epoch Times notes further, the individuals have been charged with aggravated rioting in relation to the shooting at a gas station in New Smyrna Beach during Bike Week on March 8, 2025.

Aggravated rioting is when an individual participates in a riot of 25 or more other people, according to the statement. It is a second-degree felony and punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

As part of the operation, the FBI and its law enforcement partners carried out 14 search warrants at multiple properties, including at the Mongols Clubhouse in Edgewater, Florida; four homes in Volusia County; three homes in Brevard County; two homes in Miami-Dade County; one home in Chesterfield County, Virginia; one home in Palm Beach County; and two homes in Polk County.

“The FBI has made a commitment to all Americans that we will crush violent crime across the country,” FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley said in the statement.

“There is no doubt Volusia County and, in fact, the entire state of Florida is safer today with these violent offenders off the street.”

The Mongols motorcycle gang, also known as the Mongols Motorcycle Club, is an international organization that self-identifies as an “outlaw” motorcycle gang, meaning its members define themselves as within the “1 percent” of motorcycle clubs who do not abide by the law, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The group has slogans such as “Respect Few, Fear None” and “Live Mongol Die Mongol,” which the DOJ said illustrate the members’ “cut-throat attitude.”

Its members typically wear vests and patches, or have tattoos identifying their connection to the group, the DOJ said.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs are generally highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in a range of criminal activities, including violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking, according to the DOJ.

The Mongols gang is one of many such outlaw gangs that pose a “serious national domestic threat,” the department said.

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Florida Bans State Funds for Groups Accused of Speech Policing

Florida has moved to shield public funds from being used to support what many see as efforts to police speech under the guise of media bias monitoring.

Under the state’s new fiscal year 2026 budget, taxpayer dollars can no longer be spent on advertising or marketing firms that contract with groups like NewsGuard, Ad Fontes, or the Global Disinformation Index (GDI).

The measure was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday.

We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.

A press release from the Independent Media Council emphasized that the restriction is aimed at blocking state agencies from doing business with companies that rely on “politically biased media monitoring services.”

The council stated, “These monitoring groups purport to be impartial, but consistently skew their ratings to target conservative and independent media from receiving advertising from major brands.”

NewsGuard, one of the most prominent organizations caught in the spotlight, has received federal backing in the form of a $750,000 grant from the Department of Defense.

This funding helped the group develop its “Misinformation Fingerprints” technology, which it now offers to social media platforms, artificial intelligence developers, and tech firms as a tool for tracking so-called misinformation.

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“WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BOMB THE WHITE HOUSE?” — FBI Foils Alleged ‘Skibidi Massacre’ Plot After Girlfriend Tips Off Authorities

Two radicalized Florida men have been arrested and charged in connection with a chilling plot to commit mass murder, foment political violence, and “bomb the White House,” according to court documents.

Isaiah Oglesby, 23, and James Thomas Goolsby, 25, were taken into custody after the FBI was tipped off by a courageous girlfriend who recognized something deeply wrong in her boyfriend’s disturbing social media rants, FOX13 reported.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office followed through with a full investigation after the feds confirmed the suspects’ accounts.

According to a criminal complaint reviewed by FOX13, the men’s social media accounts were littered with apocalyptic rhetoric, antisemitic and anti-Christian hate speech, and open calls for violence against the U.S. government and religious groups.

One chilling message from Oglesby and Goolsby, according to the criminal complaint:

“Wanna plan an attack?”
“I’m radicalizing my son to never trust the government — teaching him how to cultivate crops, purify water, hunt, shoot, and make bombs. We gonna survive the martial law.”
“I low-key wish Hitler wiped out the [REDACTED].”
“They’re like a cancer that sucks the life out of society.”

“We have to fight.”
“We have to kill these people [REDACTED].”
“We have to.”
“It better be a bloodbath of every corrupt politician in Capitol Hill.”
“And then we need to strike — more of us than them.”

The defendant also commented on a post on Instagram with:
“So when are we going to bomb the White House?”

Goolsby responded to Oglesby:

The defendant replied with, “Totally dude, Skibidi massacre.” The defendant also posted antisemitic and other religiously discriminatory comments to his Instagram Story, including: “I want to eradicate them,” “I want to blow up the [REDACTED], a mosque in [REDACTED], Turkey,” and photographs of unknown subjects stomping on the flag of [REDACTED].

The defendant also posted the following to his Instagram Story: “I want my pain to be inflicted upon others. I want no one to escape,” “I really hate people. I wish I could end everyone and blow the world up,” and “I hate those people so much I’ll eradicate them all.”

Several other photographs were posted by the defendant to his Instagram Story showing his infatuation with prior active shooters, including actual videos of active shooter events. Multiple other photographs and videos were also located that were self-photographs of the defendant.

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Sheriff Marceno says he has ‘zero tolerance’ for street racing. Here’s a video of Sheriff Marceno street racing.

Call it a case of highway hypocrisy.

After Lee County deputies arrested an 18-year-old on a street racing charge last week, Sheriff Carmine Marceno put out a press release on social media that included the teen’s mug shot and a statement about the sheriff’s abhorrence for racing cars on public roads. 

“I have zero tolerance for street racing in Lee County,” Marceno said of the first-degree misdemeanor crime punishable by up to a year in jail. “Driving an [sic] excessive speed and putting yourself, your passengers, and others on the road at risk is an incredibly selfish decision. My deputies will continue to patrol the roads of Lee County, ensuring drivers make smart choices or they will face the consequences.” 

It was an unambiguous statement from Marceno, himself a well-known connoisseur of fast cars, but video evidence obtained by the Florida Trident shows his intolerance of street racing doesn’t necessarily extend to his own behavior behind the wheel. 

The video, which can be seen here, shows Marceno driving south on six-lane South Tamiami Trail in a black Lamborghini Huracan convertible with the top down on a sunny day in Estero. Shooting the video is Marceno’s former friend, Bonita Springs jeweler Ken Romano, who drives in the lane to the right of the sheriff in the same direction. The brief race begins at Romano’s prompting.

“Juice that m—-f—-!” Romano tells Marceno. 

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Scientists issue stark warning after harmful creatures breed to form hybrid species: ‘We have confirmed the presence of hybrid swarms’

Invasive species can wreak havoc on your local ecosystem, but imagine two invasive insects coming to your area and breeding.

That’s exactly what’s happening in Florida.

According to News Channel 8, “The Formosan subterranean termites and Asian subterranean termites” are mating in southern areas of the Sunshine State.

What’s happening?

Associate Professor Thomas Chouvenc from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences had his suspicions about these two species breeding 10 years ago. He noticed both males and females from each species showing courtship behaviors.

A study from the university, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, confirmed that these two invasive creatures have bred to form a hybrid species.

Chouvenc’s team began collecting termite samples “in the Fort Lauderdale area that didn’t match the shape or form of either termite species,” per News Channel 8.

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